1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for the vacuum cleaner for centrifuging and collecting contaminants entrained in sucked air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vacuum cleaner includes a suction brush movably connected to a cleaner body, which moves along the cleaning surface during the cleaning process. The cleaner body has a dust collecting chamber with a detachable dust filter disposed inside, and a motor operating chamber including a motor for generating a suction force. When the motor operates, it generates a strong suction force at the suction brush. Accordingly, contaminants, such as dust or dirt, on the cleaning surface are drawn in together with air into the cleaner body. The contaminants entrained in the air are filtered through a dust filter disposed in the dust collecting chamber of the cleaner body, and the clean air is discharged back into the environment through the motor operating chamber.
A conventional vacuum cleaner collects contaminants by using an expendable dust filter. When the dust filter is filled with contaminants, the dust filter must be replaced manually. Replacing the dust filter manually is inconvenient and results in poor sanitation conditions.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the related art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner for centrifuging and collecting contaminants entrained in the air that is sucked into the vacuum cleaner through a suction brush.
The above object is accomplished by providing a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for the vacuum cleaner including a hollow cylindrical cyclone body having open upper and lower ends, and a dust discharge port located proximate the lower end for receiving contaminants that are separated from the air by centrifugal force and discharged from the cyclone body. The apparatus further includes a dust receptacle connected to the cyclone body. The dust receptacle collects the contaminants from the cyclone body through the dust discharge port. A base member is connected to and closes the lower end of the cyclone body and the dust receptacle, and a cover is removably connected to the upper end of the cyclone body and the dust receptacle. The cover has an air intake channel for drawing outside air and contaminants into the cyclone body and an air discharge channel for discharging clean air from the cyclone body. The apparatus further includes a backflow prevention means for guiding contaminants that are discharged from the cyclone body into the dust receptacle and preventing a backflow of the contaminants collected in the dust receptacle from returning to the cyclone body.